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August 22
- Foldable phones scarce in Europe
➀ Foldable smartphones remain a niche but rapidly growing segment in Europe, with book-type models driving a 37% YoY sales surge in 2024;
➁ HONOR challenged Samsung’s near-monopoly, prompting Samsung to counter with the Galaxy Z Fold7, while HONOR’s upcoming Magic V5 aims to reclaim technical superiority;
➂ Apple’s anticipated 2026 entry is expected to intensify competition, with book-type foldables projected to capture 2% of total smartphone sales and nearly 10% of the premium market in Europe by 2028.
- Datacentre in space
➀ Axiom Space's AxDCU-1 will launch to the ISS to test a space-based data processing/storage system for future orbital data centers, reducing reliance on limited downlink bandwidth;
➁ The experiment uses Red Hat's open-source Device Edge platform (MicroShift/Kubernetes) on commercial hardware to enable real-time decision-making in space;
➂ Launched via SpaceX's 33rd NASA resupply mission, this paves the way for Axiom's planned commercial space station operations.
- Q2 Optical Transport equipment market up 14% y-o-y
➀ The global optical transport equipment market grew 14% year-over-year in Q2 2025, driven by demand for disaggregated WDM and data center interconnect (DCI) technologies;
➀ Disaggregated WDM sales surged nearly 35%, fueled by cloud providers’ investments and adoption of IPoDWDM-compatible ZR/ZR+ optics;
➂ Top vendors included Huawei, Ciena, and Nokia, with cloud providers contributing 60% of WDM system growth.
- Give me a datacentre . . . . but not yet
➀ Local authorities are urged to delay approving new data centers using current liquid-to-air (L2A) cooling, which consumes 1.8-5 million liters of water per MW annually, causing water shortages and contamination;
➁ By 2027, liquid-to-liquid (L2L) cooling could reduce water usage to 200,000 liters per MW or zero, but current adoption is hindered by cost and infrastructure challenges;
➂ The article advocates for a strategic pause to adopt future sustainable technologies, likening it to St. Augustine's call for delayed action.
August 21
- Precision resistors for industrial, medical and automotive
➀ Rutronik is distributing Vishay's precision thin-film SMD resistors certified for industrial, medical, and automotive applications with AEC-Q200 qualification, RoHS compliance, and sulfur resistance testing;
➁ MC AT series offers sizes from 0201 to 1206, ±0.1% tolerance, ±25ppm/°C stability, and power handling up to 520mW, while TNPW e3 provides a cost-effective alternative with 3.01MΩ max resistance;
➂ Both series undergo rigorous environmental testing (ASTM B 809, ANSI/EIA-977) for humidity and extreme temperature conditions (-55°C to +175°C).
- Plessey Semiconductors bought with Chinese money
➀ Plessey Semiconductors was acquired by Haylo Labs, funded by a $100 million loan from Chinese tech firm Goertek;
➁ Goertek specializes in acoustic/optical components for consumer electronics and VR/AR, with clients including Apple and Huawei;
➂ The UK government approved the deal aimed at consolidating microLED technology leadership.
- Japan struggling to respond to power semi challenges
➀ Japan’s five major power semiconductor companies (Mitsubishi Electric, Fuji Electric, Toshiba, Rohm, Denso) each hold less than 5% global market share, leading to collaboration challenges due to fragmented interests;
➁ Government-backed alliances (e.g., Toshiba-Rohm, Fuji-Denso) face limited success, with incompatible product lines and stalled expansion into R&D and procurement;
➂ China’s dominance in SiC wafer production and EV manufacturing (40% BEV, 50% PHEV global share) strengthens its power semiconductor capabilities, while Japan lags in automotive electrification.
- Back-end equipment sales growing at 6% CAGR
➀ The back-end semiconductor equipment market is projected to exceed $9 billion by 2030, driven by a 6% CAGR, with key segments like TCB (11.6% CAGR) and hybrid bonding (21.1% CAGR) accelerating growth for HBM and chiplet packaging.
➁ Geopolitical tensions and export controls are prompting industry leaders like TSMC, Intel, SK Hynix, and Samsung to diversify supply chains and localize manufacturing, while equipment vendors such as BESI and ASMPT drive innovation.
➂ Hybrid bonding and TCB technologies are critical for 3D integration and AI/memory platforms, while China’s domestic vendors aim to expand but face ecosystem maturity hurdles beyond 2030.
August 20
- Shape-recovery and self-healing properties of ATSP
➀ Researchers at Texas A&M University revealed the shape-recovery and self-healing capabilities of Aromatic Thermosetting Copolyester (ATSP), a carbon-fiber composite, through cyclic loading and high-temperature testing;
➁ The material demonstrated durability across hundreds of stress cycles, with heating (up to 280°C) triggering self-healing, restoring near-full strength after two cycles and retaining 80% efficiency by the fifth cycle;
➂ X-ray imaging confirmed structural recovery despite gradual mechanical fatigue, highlighting ATSP's chemical stability and potential for automotive safety applications.
- Datacentre infrastructure market on a 15% CAGR 2024-29
➀ The Data Center Physical Infrastructure (DCPI) market is projected to grow at a 15% CAGR, reaching $63.1B by 2029, driven by AI-driven workloads and facility redesigns;
➁ Thermal Management, particularly Direct Liquid Cooling (DLC), is forecast to grow at a 19% CAGR, with DLC surging from $1.1B to $5.8B due to rising rack densities;
➂ Service Providers (cloud/colocation) will grow at 20% CAGR, outpacing enterprise growth, while North America leads regional expansion and power constraints are mitigated through hybrid energy solutions.
- NEVs account for 29% of global auto sales in Q2
➀ Q2 NEV sales surged 30% YoY to 4.868 million units, with hybrids boosting total NEV sales to 6.456 million, representing 29% of global auto sales;
➁ BYD retained dominance with 18.3% market share (43% growth), while Tesla saw a 14% decline; Geely, Leapmotor, and XPeng achieved record sales, and Xiaomi entered the top 10;
➂ The US plans to end EV subsidies, and TrendForce forecasts slower NEV growth (21% in 2025, dropping to 14% in 2026).
- Aerospace demonstrates optical crosslink between CubeSats
➀ The Aerospace Corporation conducted the first optical crosslink demonstration between two CubeSats in low-Earth orbit, enabling high-speed data transfer (312.5 Mbps uncorrected) using miniaturized laser technology.
➁ The breakthrough reduces power and cost for future missions, allowing CubeSats to collaborate in formations and bridge the gap between affordability and performance for commercial and government use.
➂ CEO Steve Isakowitz, set to retire in 2026, emphasized advancements in space technology under his decade-long leadership, including AI integration and expanded partnerships.
- Top Ten (less 5) PC Vendors
➀ Lenovo led Q2 2025 global PC shipments with 17 million units (24.8% market share) and 15.2% YoY growth;
➁ Apple showed the strongest growth (+21.4%), while Dell Technologies experienced a -3.0% decline;
➂ The overall PC market grew 6.5% YoY, with ASUS and HP Inc maintaining steady growth at 16.7% and 3.2%, respectively.
August 19
- US government planning to take 10% stake in Intel in return for Chips Act money
➀ The US government may convert $10.9B Chips Act grants and military contracts into equity, acquiring a 10% stake in Intel (worth ~$10.5B), causing a 3% stock dip;
➁ Intel could receive the full Chips Act funds immediately instead of gradual payouts, accelerating its turnaround plan after previously receiving only $2.2B of the total;
➂ The equity conversion model suggests a defined government-Intel partnership rather than open-ended support, potentially extending to other Chips Act recipients.
- Arm recruits Amazon’s top IC developer
➀ Arm recruited Rami Sinno, formerly director of engineering at Amazon's Annapurna Labs, who led the development of AI chips Trainium and Inferentia;
➁ Arm aims to develop proprietary chips under its own brand, with increased expenses in its financial report linked to this initiative;
➂ Sinno previously held key roles at Arm from 2014 to 2019, and Arm has also hired talent from HPE and Intel to support its chip development efforts.
- 16-lambda DWDM on single strand of SM fibre
➀ Lightmatter developed a 16-wavelength DWDM optical link on a single strand of standard single-mode fiber, enhancing data center bandwidth and scalability for trillion-parameter AI models;
➁ The technology overcomes challenges like wavelength-dependent propagation, thermal drift (via a digital stabilization system), and polarization sensitivity, enabling cost-effective SM fiber use;
➂ Lightmatter raised $850 million, including a $400M Series D round at a $4.4B valuation, reflecting confidence in its photonic computing innovations.
- So-Lows
➀ David Manners reflects on a witty 65-year-old advertisement from Electronics Weekly's December 1960 edition;
➁ The article highlights Manners' four-decade experience in covering the electronics industry and its trends;
➂ It serves as a nostalgic look back at historical tech marketing and industry evolution.
August 18
- Smart glasses becoming a serious market
➀ The smart glasses market grew 110% YoY in H1 2025, led by Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses with 73% market share, alongside new entrants like Xiaomi and TCL-RayNeo;
➁ AI glasses accounted for 78% of total shipments, driven by Meta's expansion into new regions and upcoming models from Meta, Alibaba, and others;
➂ Key developments include Qualcomm's upgraded AR 1+ Gen 1 SoC, Allwinner's budget chips, and Apple's rumored AI glasses, with a projected 60% CAGR through 2029.
- Infineon completes Marvell Ethernet unit acquisition
➀ Infineon finalized its $2.5 billion acquisition of Marvell's Automotive Ethernet business, enhancing its leadership in automotive semiconductors and system expertise for software-defined vehicles;
➁ Marvell's Brightlane portfolio (PHY transceivers, switches, bridges) supports 100 Mbps–10 Gbps networks, with a $4 billion design-win pipeline by 2030;
➂ The acquired unit will form a new "Ethernet Solutions" business line, projected to generate $225–250 million revenue in 2025 at ~60% gross margins.
- ECTC Call for Papers
➀ The 2026 IEEE ECTC, a major semiconductor packaging industry event, will be held in Orlando, FL, from May 26-29, 2026, attracting over 2,000 participants worldwide;
➁ The conference will focus on cutting-edge topics like heterogeneous integration, chiplet architectures, hybrid bonding, 5G, quantum computing, and advanced packaging technologies;
➂ Submissions are invited for unpublished, non-commercial research in areas including reliability, manufacturing, material processing, and photonics.
- Ed Goes For Humanoid Robots
➀ Ed questions the commercial viability of specialized humanoid robots developed by ScunnyAI, despite global interest in the technology;
➁ ScunnyAI's robots can perform specific tasks (e.g., making tea, cleaning cars) but lack general-purpose adaptability, limiting their immediate practical use;
➂ Ed proposes spinning off ScunnyAI as an independent company, leveraging hype and government-backed narratives to attract investors, while negotiating a 25% stake in the venture.
August 14
- Siemens, Arm and Southampton Uni announce Cre8Ventures Education Program
➀ Siemens, Arm, and the University of Southampton launched the Cre8Ventures Open Higher Education Programme, integrating Siemens' Digital Twin Marketplace, Arm's developer resources, and academic lab-to-fab capabilities;
➁ The program provides students with industrial-grade EDA tools, startup support, and commercialization pathways to bridge academia with industry;
➂ Supported by the Semiconductor Education Alliance, it aligns with the EU Chips Act’s goals to cultivate semiconductor talent and strengthen Europe’s tech sovereignty.
- Rocket Lab gets Geost for Golden Dome
➀ Rocket Lab acquires Geost, a specialist in electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensor systems, for $275 million to enhance missile tracking capabilities for the U.S. Golden Dome defense initiative;
➁ The deal includes cash, stock, and future earnouts, integrating Geost's real-time situational awareness technology into Rocket Lab’s satellite systems to bolster national security;
➂ Geost’s EO/IR expertise supports missile warning, space domain awareness, and Earth observation, aligning with the U.S. vision for resilient space architecture under Golden Dome.
- Where Passports Are For Sale
➀ Several countries, particularly in the Caribbean, offer "golden passports" through investment programs, enabling visa-free travel to over 140 countries without residency requirements;
➁ EU members like Malta and Austria impose stricter conditions, including residency mandates and longer investment periods;
➂ Investment costs range from $130,000 in Nauru to millions in Singapore and Hong Kong, with Caribbean nations typically charging $200,000-$250,000.
August 13
- Top Ten (less 4) Software Engineering Trends
➀ AI-Native Software Engineering and LLM-based applications are reshaping development, with 90% of enterprises expected to adopt AI code assistants by 2028;
➁ GenAI Platform Engineering and Open GenAI models enhance customization and cost-efficiency, driving broader AI adoption across organizations;
➂ Talent Density and Green Software Engineering prioritize skilled teams and sustainability, aligning innovation with environmental goals.
August 12
- Altera Agilex 5 FPGA dev board
➀ Arrow Electronics launched the AXE5000 starter kit based on Altera's Agilex 5 FPGA (A5EC008BM16AE6S), featuring 85,196 logic elements and a Cortex-A76/A55 dual-core CPU;
➁ The board integrates tensor blocks for AI acceleration (3 TOP/s DSP performance), supports DDR4, PCIe 4.0, 10G Ethernet, and includes 16MB RAM + 32MB QSPI flash;
➂ Offers expandability via CRUVI HS connectors and Arduino MKR interfaces, enabling camera, sensor, and peripheral integrations.
- Who’s Nuclear?
➀ China increased its nuclear arsenal to 600 warheads, adding 100 since January 2024;
➁ India expanded its stockpile to 180 warheads, with a global total of 9,614, primarily held by Russia and the U.S.;
➂ Over 2,600 retired warheads await dismantling, while France, the UK, and others maintain a combined 515 operational weapons.
- Ensilica founds mixed-signal design centre in Budapest
➀ EnSilica establishes a mixed-signal design center in Budapest to strengthen EU presence and tap into the local automotive and industrial tech ecosystem;
➁ The facility will focus on mixed-signal ICs for automotive and industrial applications, targeting 16 specialized engineers by September 2025;
➂ This expansion brings EnSilica's global headcount to ~210, with design centers across the UK, India, Brazil, and Hungary, enhancing RF/mmWave and cryptography IP capabilities.
- Alif elaborates on single architecture for generative edge AI
➀ Alif Semiconductor launched second-generation Ensemble E4, E6, and E8 devices using Arm Cortex cores and the Ethos-U85 NPU for transformer-based AI at the edge;
➁ The unified architecture features low power consumption (1.3μA in standby) and supports multi-core processing with scalable performance for applications like wearables and robotics;
➂ Integrated security measures include hardware root-of-trust and cryptographic accelerators, targeting smart home, healthcare, and industrial markets.
- Micron gives market hope
➀ Micron reports a surge in memory market performance, with HBM revenue growing nearly 50% sequentially and DRAM revenue hitting a record in Q3;
➁ The company projects Q4 revenues of $11.2 billion, driven by improved pricing and strong demand, especially in data center and client SSDs;
➂ Gross margins rise to 44.5% as Micron solidifies its position as a top supplier in key memory segments, while leadership debates whether growth reflects inventory restocking or a sustained market recovery.